South Korea’s Constitutional Court on Monday overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, reinstating him as the nation’s No. 2 official and acting leader. The ruling came amid ongoing political uncertainty, as the court has yet to deliver its verdict on the separate and highly charged impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Observers believe that the latest ruling does not necessarily indicate the direction the court may take in President Yoon’s case, as Han was not seen as a central figure in Yoon’s controversial imposition of martial law on December 3—a move that triggered a severe political crisis. Nonetheless, the decision is expected to energise Yoon’s conservative base and could fuel their political pushback against the opposition, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Han assumed the role of acting President following Yoon’s impeachment by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. However, he too was ousted by lawmakers in late December amid intensifying political conflict. The unprecedented, successive impeachments that suspended the country’s top two officials intensified a domestic division and deepened worries about the country’s diplomatic and economic activities. The Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Choi Sang-mok, had since serving as acting President.
